#65 R.P.I. Ohio State vs. #82 R.P.I. Virginia Tech: 

Virginia Tech men’s hoops are still Hurrying Hoop hoppin’ along.

The Hokies are now on their way to either the Value City Arena or the St.John Arena. And no, I have no idea what that means, either. Tho’ the NC2A stat site says “THE” Ohio State has two homecourts. I say: “Buck off”; ’cause that is what I said when Frank and Co. visited them last time to their fanbase my ownself. LOL. Too bad for them someone got that highly upsetting one, right. Now we have a right-sized visiting challenge vs. a squadron who has faced mo’ than a few challenges on/off-court this campaign. (Mo’ below…) As ‘the’ O.S.U. enters the fray at: 21 up against 13 down overall. Tho’ a not so every girl is ‘beautiful’/’pretty’ sub .5oo 9 vs. 11 in in-league runs. (or, .45 in BIG-X terms). They are on their second Head Coach for the season and he is on a six-wins outta their last 7 regular season games run. This from a then mere 14-Win team since St.Valentine’s Day. A cupidinous run to be sure. Nonetheless, what you wanna know is… who is gonna win and by how much, rights? So, reads on… to finds, out!

Ohio State Head Coach: Jacob Michael Diebler: age=37, 7-2  (.777) overall and at OH.St.
Has a rep’ for??? Well, rebooting sagging teams. Dorsal fins/rally-caps. Motivational guy 4sure. Also ‘whispered’ to be a “relationships” centric coach. Which rallying does figure square enough.
$2,500,000.oo

Baby Diebler was born in and grew up in the town of Gibsonburg, Ohio.

Baller Diebler went to Fostoria High School for his first three years of high school and played basketball under his father, Keith Diebler. He accumulated many accolades, including District Player of the Year in 2003, 2004, and 2005, second team All-State in 2003 and 2004, and the Ohio Division II co-player of the Year in 2005, his senior season. He also led Upper Sandusky to win the State Championship and averaged 18.8 points in 2005.

After his high school senior year, he committed to Valparaiso to play basketball under coach Homer Drew. He played sparingly during his freshman season, only playing 18 games off the bench and averaging only 4.3 minutes per game and 1.1 points per game. His role increased dramatically during his sophomore year when he started all 31 games for Valparaiso and averaged 32 minutes per game and 5.4 points per game. During his junior season, the team finished 22–14 and went to the 2008 College Basketball Invitational, and advanced to the second round with the help of Diebler. Diebler started all 36 games, averaging 30.9 minutes per game and 7.5 points per game.

During his childhood, Diebler did not want to become a coach like his father, saying that he “tried to deny being a coach probably because I saw my dad as a coach.”

Diebler was first hired by his former college coach Homer Drew to be a student assistant with the team for the 2009–10 season. He was promoted to director of basketball operations for the 2010–11 season. The 2010–11 team won 23 games and was invited to the 2011 CIT tournament. Afterwards, he went onto Ass.Coach stints at: Valpo’, then Vandy, then back to Ohio State. Where he took over as Interim Coach this year and did enuff to remove the prefix Title.

---

With a permanent coach in place, No. 2 seed Ohio State beat Cornell in a first-round game of the NIT on Tuesday in Columbus. (88-83).

Stability is welcomed for the Buckeyes (20-13) following a topsy-turvy season in which longtime coach Chris Holtmann was fired on Feb. 14 after a 2-9 stretch plummeted Ohio State to near the bottom of the Big Ten. Jake Diebler was promoted to interim head coach and guided the Buckeyes to a 7-2 record, good enough to have the interim title removed Sunday after he signed a five-year contract to become the 15th head coach in school history. Felicitations on dat.

---

So, the 7 up against 2 is a better -if not a premature- look compared to all that {sic: mess}. Is it the right look is an answer better poised/posed for this time next year?

Diebler’s father, Keith, and his younger brother, Jon, are both basketball coaches.

Hubby Diebler and his wife Jordyn have two daughters and a son.

‘the’ Oh.State at a glance:

• 32nd best in Free-Throw percentage O!!
• 37th best in Swats!!
• 67th fewest in Turnovers O.
• 9oth best in Rebounding Margin. (both ends climbing up on the B— level).
• 136th best in 3-point percentage O.
• 263rd best in 3-point percentage D allowed.
• 296th most in Fast Break ppg O!!! (½-court sets live here).
• Overall: it was quickly apparent that this is a C+ to C+++ caliber team. Nothing real bad; and a slew of thingys average+ to average+++. Not the worst look ¦ rather not a superlative look, either.
• 2 kinda UNKOWN hurts here. Coach God twice bless.

Returning Starters=2*.

Ohio State Strengths:

• * One #2, Bruce Thornton: G1: 6′2″, 215 lbs., and a super-sophomore, nearly. As he is your team pacer in scoring and assisting alike. At: 15.9 ppg with 3.6 rpg on 4.6 apg. Fresh off a nice, done come-up:  Big Ten All-Tournament Team (2o23) hit. So, there is a limelight post-season pulse of sorts here. Calls himself: “Elite” and an: “…underrated floor general.” LOL… well, ain’t least he is not a (selfie) of a Doubting Thomas. Prolly not the worst hoops Qb1 trait in all candor. That squarely struck… the: 42.9% overall with 85.0% free and 33.3% three strikes me as: “K”. Officer grade pay, yes; just not in a General way. Lindy’s calls Thornton a: leader in: Assists, Minutes, and Steals. 2o22 Georgia State Player of the Year is alluring to be sure. Looked a bit: Joshua JAX or Khalid El-Amin in last years (’23) looks to me. Still, a bit roundball rounded-off looking; tho’ not as bulky to his credit. Has a tag of needing to keep teammates involved from the coaching sewing circle F.Y.I. Does go hard at the rack as his body/bulk will allow. Not a shy one at the One to be sure. The 1.2 swipes did lead the way to boot. And that is not a shy sign, either. Fell off a (Marching) bit after being on a near February mission at ~20 ppg worth of work. Only missed one game in 2-years, so this is a durable One to be sure. Consensus **** or quad-star guy by every single service. No.42 prospect overall and No.8 point guard according to 247Sports outta the Peach State. Had nice (not epic) H.S. digits. Tho’ they did digitize well enuff to lead his High School: (Milton H.S.) to the Class AAAAAAAA or septa-A State Title as a junior and a final national ranking of No. 7. So, that does not suck; not at all. Has some long azz ‘dreads (that he wears back) to pair with a receding hairline or an urban Mullet look of sorts. LOL… Jack or Bruce is not a dull boy. Prolly a fringe to legit overseas talent on physicality and willingness alone. He kinda good; the only mathematics is (remaining) headroom and/or availability to take the next, step. (NO fam’ anythang at all listed… and that’s jus’ sad. God Bless).

  

• 6′7″, 22o lb., Jamison Battle: F1: Grad’-Year done. 5th-year baller who should have the Learning and Experience Curves all straightened out. Second-best in Pointing and Rebounding alike. 15.o ppg with 5.o rpg and 1.3 apg. Teamwide 1st-best in Free-Throwing (92.2%) and among the Big-X very best in the same.  47.1% overall with 44.4% downtown is solid as can be. Put up sim’ statistics in his last two years @Minnesota. So, this is prolly a hard-capped kid. Would that we could all max’ ourselves out too. 3rd-string A-1o (@: George Washington, ~18 per!) for 2-years. A-10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll as well. Alpha saxophonist on the team and likely in any Ten itself. Lindy’s said him to be a: ‘proverbial stretch-Four’. Seemed mo’ home-position Three to me. Tho’ he has a nice if not sizzling 3-level skill set to be sure. His sisters are all Au.Gophers and run ball for ‘Sota. Seems kinda like a very Baltic Ave. mans Dr.Jay in hoc with no houses/hotels. Prolly give everyone Y.M.C.A. pain this time next year. As Battle has battled and gone G.Dub on the other side of the Potomac and been ‘on the come’ for his new coach. Clearly, this Big Whistle swap-meet blew Jamison’s A-game (back) up. Props!
• Roddy Gayle Jr.: is your: 6′4″, 21o lb. and Bill Walton big old head-band sporting Off-G1 here. Niagara Falls, N.Y. native who is over a barrel of late. (Too much???) 13.6 ppg with 4.6 rpg and 3.1 apg is pretty nice in generic third-option terms. Only his 28.6% length lacks threeing measure. Although, Rowdy Roddy has nearly tripled his ’23 output(s) in ’24 terms, and that never sucked. Has something of a streaky or hawt-n-cold look to his game. Thus, making him your Saturday nite (Big)-X-Factor all unto himself. Nets +11% better @home overall and that could be a X-out hint. Was only ranked as the No.41 prospect in the class and the No.2 shooting guard according to 247Sports; which could be taken to be a ceiling vis-à-vis headroom hint. This is all the mo’ impressive as he had a pretty dinged-up Sr. Prom season in H.S. terms. Did spark flashes here-n-there of being something of a scholastic blow-torch scorer; when health permitted. Coach God Bless. Has been steadier and mo’ settled mid-teens down (ppg) under his new big cheese. Prolly another fringe to legit export baller… time=tell on which…
• Gayle and Battle in particular impressed in the N.I.T. opening round from what Eye did get to see. They legit. Real.

---

• After this 3-headed hydra… it is everything via committee.
•  true-Soph’., 6′11″, 239 lb. Felix Okpara: a rarefied true-C1 is your main man BIG here. A Lagos, Nigeria imported baller: Okpara is a growing and showing signs work-in-progress in accounting terms of a legit back to the basket Pivot. Played better to close ’23 and took over the Five starting role in the final nine games of: ’23. Jurassic-looking 7-3 wingspan never can only help. Consensus **** or four-stars Rivals #6o baller. Soccer or another Akeem kid-O over in Nigeria. Only took-up hoops in 2o18; which ‘splains the rawness on O sometimes pretty pointedly enuff. Swatts a shot every 12.2 mpg! wowow (6.2 ppg with 6.4 rpg on 58% and 2.7 bpg). Makes you wonder where he will be come ’27 if/when his BIG-O game fills in, in… between?

Ohio State Weaknesses:

• Austin Parks: (Day-to-Day) with what they are calling “…dealing with an unknown issue, and it remains to be seen if he will participate in the postseason.” God Bless.
• Scotty Middleton: (Day-to-Day) with what they are calling: “…a personal matter.” Godspeed.
• All-World true-Fr.: Brice Sensabaugh did not stay and kicked it N., B., A.
• The zero, that’s (0) pre-season BIG-10 nominees 1st, 2nd, or 3rd-string mighta been a strung-out ’24 clue until you know who stepped in, in C’bus.

Buckeye Bucket: (depth=2 regs and 4 others with nitely spot-minutes); 128th in pine ppg. Not bad.

Devin Royal and Zed Key  F are your lead frontcourt sub’. Along with Dale Bonner off the backcourt bench. As Oh.State cut their rotation down to a skate-8 and donate on Tuesday nite.

* 6′8″, 223 lb Zed Key: P/F1. Zed is not shouldering dead. Tho’ he’s had a bad side that finally shut ’23 down for surgery (St.Christopher help) last year. Zed is by the way of: Long Island Lutheran. So, clearly, some O.S.U. staffer has the (BIG) apple of the eye here. 6.7 ppg with 4.2 rpg a bpg and 51.6% overall are worker bee drone quality enuff.  Though, it also seems like po’ Z.Key is not yet back. Seeing how he went for ’23: 13.4 points and 8.4 rebounds while shooting 63.5 percent. Sucks to be shoulder ball-n-socket needs a new sprocket ill. Godspeed. (My right shoulder being totally resected, knows). And as a 4th year baller time is on the move to get both sides back in full-service A.S.A.P. As he practices with ‘contact’ limitations in P.T. terms and that’s just harshing me man…

Sr., 6′2″, 175 lb. Dale Bonner G and Soph., 6′6″, 220 lb. home-state Cincy native Evan Mahaffey G at least give the rest a breather of sorts. Dale is your Qb2 from the bullpen and Evan is your ‘tweener or S/G-S/F hybrid in relief. They combo’ to get you right at: 9 ppg with 6 rpg and 4 apg. Tho’ both kids are still mo’ parts takers than makers: (22% long Dale and 11.1% deep Evan).

Nugget or rookie year: (MiaFla native): bean-pole looking: Scotty Middleton G 6′7″, 188 lb., is your signature substitute shooter. 4.4 ppg on nearly 48% when dialing long-distance. Scotty’s range is the ‘beam me up’ gym; if he is in it? He’s… open.

Illation, conclusion(s) and OPT digits:

Number of Buckeyes who could buck off @Tech=a Little IX.

the takeaway:
The takeaway here is…

…not to be too taken with the beating -some might say upsetting- a mid-major set of Spiders in a general way on Tuesday nite.

Eye say that (somewhat) because of what the newly anointed Buckeye Coach (Diebler) said pre-game before offing S.A.T. champion Cornell. He said their only goal was to “cut down the championship nets”.

---

---

That’s my kinda guy. Eye on the prize.

“It is a far far better thing to shot for the stars and hit the moon than to aim for the moon and hit the ground.”
—Oh.State (football) Coach John Cooper

It would appear to me that Diebler is willing to go for a Showtime era: “Coop-a-loop”.

 ***

Our handy-dandy friend the so-called Forum Guide of Graham Houston fame is calling for a Big-X/A.c.c. Challenge revival. Beyond that, it did not call for anything roundball round-robin at all. As there were no population intersecting points to survey/purvey here. So… no (O.O.C.) die. cast… not, one.

The annualized year-to-date vitals say that… Ohio State is up a pretty relative looking +2% in shooting percentage margin (due to: VT being up a pinch on O and O.s.u. being up 3 pinches on D overall); with VeeTee up an entirely nominal looking +1% in 3-point percentage margin (’cause: VT won this one via the table scraps off of Longshanks table, a few +tenths up on 3-O and a few tenths up on 3-D alike (nearly) summed to a none too frisky +1% header overall… voyeurs do not rejoice, as there was not much to three-see here), and Ohio State won in rebounding margin by +3 caroms corralled for the year-to-date. (In annual collective terms… VeeTee fought back a bit to close the backboarding year, to get close to breaking even; whereas, O.s.u. was up a few rebounds for the duration. Consistently above average if not epic itself, which does close-game count mind yah, however).

The most recent 5-game metrics say that… with the Buckeyes now up a noticeable near ~+7% in shooting percentage margin (pur: VT is netting very well of late; tho’ the next peep they recently defend or check will be the first. As O.s.u. is down in the freakin’ 30’s with VT up in the higher 40’s as stop-units or defensive ‘want too’ goes); with the Buckeyes now up a nearly hurtful looking +12% in 3-point percentage margin (from: a bit mo’ halting in 3-D terms; although, O.s.u. has found their triune range of late in 3-O terms as well), and the Buckeyes completed the hard to do trifecta of a sweep with a nifty looking near ~+7 misses collected edge in rebounding margin in the last fortnight of fiberglassing. (due to: super climbing all kinda over, under, around, and hugging the offensive ‘glass of late, D was okay, and O was nasty gathering in Recency Effect terms).

Armchair Pt.Guard’s:

Hemmingway Hoops: “To have and to have not…”

• vs. no-names? +172-points❗️ So, these names are the mo’ namely names here —at least to little ole mes. As ‘the’ Ohio State was going Coaching Clarence Carter, punching-downhill early ’23 on and straight Strokin’ these chump-sauce little guys. Sparking ’em mo’ often than not. 75% blown totally out. And all less one of those curb-stompings was by ≥ 24 points or mo’. R.U.T.S. to be sho’.
• vs. Surnames? +9-points❗️ So, ^that^ take up above fits one of our two pet Jerry West Logo’fied maximums of what great teams do. They beat the teams they are supposed to beat, badly; and they find a way to win when they do not play their best. The ’24 second part and not such Buckeye gone black-eye, much. Jerry West did not go East Egg (old/good $$$) here. As what seemed a shiny early O.s.u. start fell apart. And since this was sans major injuries… that seems mo’ part(s) internal than external to Applied Sports Psychology (@Big-1o Illinois no less) record holding me. (Coach God do bless Dr. Minnix, again).
  As something went jus’ plum ‘rong on what seemed to be a promising enuff initial looksee that including beat ranked ‘Bama and hoops-factory U.C.L.A.
  As in… this all happened (piously) prior to going 3-mile-Island pur numerous meltdowns by the Buckeyes earlier in the season. This included twice coming from ahead to choke, after leading by 18 points in the second half and only to get beat in the end. Going a shocking +18 o-fer-2. Dangnation… as something is jus’ plum ‘rong with that.
  That seems like a chemistry/lockeroom sniffer to me, and it seems no less like it… when you take into account the scientific fact objectively of… they suddenly went back to poppin’ clean for their suddenly new in-season head coach. Clinically wild, helter-skelter even, ain’t it???
  As they were in a –59-point name hole when the initial big whistle “blew”.
  Only to finish on a +61-point tear under the new Big Cheese.
  A Tale of Two C-bus Cities to be, sure!

LAST 10 GAMES: Buckeyes: 7-3, averaging 75.3 points, 36.0 rebounds, 13.5 assists, 6.3 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 46.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 69.5 points per game.

LAST 10 GAMES: Hokies: 6-4, averaging 77.3 points, 31.5 rebounds, 14.5 assists, 5.1 steals and 2.3 blocks per game while shooting 47.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 73.5 points.

VeeTee is up a whopping +12 in R&R!.
O.st.U. is a .778 host; whereas VT is .181 as a guest.
V.P.I. is up an okay +3% at the charity stripe for the year.

The Call…

No.49 Net Ranking Ohio State @ no.6o Net Ranking Vah.Tech:

 

---

The VerdicT:

https://www.espn.com/espnplus/player/_/id/8bb3a0f4-c34a-4dc8-a583-aa893b0f7dbc

This one is being played on a 3oo.4-mile sojourn, Nor-by-Nor-West.
At @Away— or, so last time me, and Alfred Hitchcock bothered to check.

Rights?

Do Eye supercalifragilisticexpialidocious really, truly, madly, deeply,
needs to type all that much of a closer in lieu of @24o6o dat???

@Away… all Eye need to say?

Then me and my 36 hours of calc-n-stats ran some mo’ McBride Hall digits… check it…

1. So, ‘the’ Ohio State feasted -to their credit- on a buncha Q3+Q4 ding-dongs. Fattening their 2o23-2o24 marker for it to boot. 9375 in bum-fighting only getting dropped by one. This is as it should be, granted.
2. However, ‘th” Oh.St. only went .333 (repeating) when they faced anyone with any pulse at all. Only carving 6 bed-post namely notches to show fo’ it.

   

3. VeeTee was nearly precisely similarly beaten by only one ding-dong. Additionally, the Techmen got similarly unmanned vs. real-men. Going an immodest looking .35o vs. anyone with a pulse. Only carving 6 bed-post namely notches to show fo’ it.
4. Or in other words… Quadrant weighted S.O.S. (strength of schedule) analysis calls this one a draw. Therefore, ergo, to Whit… thus bringing the OPT offering of an “OT” call into at least slightly cogent temporal play.

🌰 E.L.O. #41 vs. #72 E.L.O. 🦃

The digits:

Then I found out that their entirely sextastic she-Dance Team (jus’) won Jazzy Nationals via pantomiming The ChairMAN of the Boards: “My Way…“

FREE strumpets playing O.G., soul-school, crooning, trumpets!!!

“You dig it the most…”
—Coach Vincent Vega
🏋️‍♀️

–oOo–

So, and accordingly… I guess these girls want this one to be all tied, up?!?

As their gold-medal harvesting (likewise) O.G. vaginal birthing expressions are priceless. 10-8 round there ladies. Gotta give you dat one. Yah’ll stole the show and took the whole shebang.

And Foxtrot Indigo… dat works for a charter member of n.O.w., card-carrying me.

Extra innings, 40 minutes gone O.D. into OT, here we come(s)…

…and so do they!

DOH❗️

 

 

 

 

💯

 

 

 

(56% confidence interval)
Virginia Tech=75, Ohio State=77 (1OT)

please support the VT F.C.A.!

“LETS GO!”

“Hokies!”

 bourbonstreet**